


One And One

by Miss_L



Category: Houdini & Doyle (TV)
Genre: M/M, One Shot, Pre-Slash, randomness galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-24 08:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7501896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_L/pseuds/Miss_L
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Too short for a summary, really... <br/>Some soul-searching by Harry Houdini.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a teeny one-shot, so don't expect more.  
> However, should anyone find my story worth writing a continuation, please do! I would be ever so honoured and pleased :)

They're happy, now. A genuine companionship is in quite the contrast to their initial dislike and continuing rivalry, but for once, they let the drink and the joy of each other's presence carry them away. 

Giggling and keeping each other upright, they stumble into the shared suite, falling to the floor before they're able to reach either of their beds. Doyle, for all his prudishness, does not shy away from the solid warmth of Houdini's body, and now they're laughing, the sound reverberating through their tangent chests, and Arthur's stupid moustache is tickling Harry's cheek, and suddenly the appeal of two men sleeping together starts to dawn on the magician, and boy, is this going to be awkward in the morning... 

As Arthur scrambles to get off his companion and onto his feet, Harry stays on the floor, idly wondering how the taste a man's lips would compare to a woman's. Still lost in thought, he lets his friend help him up. 

There's more laughing and quipping, but when they've finally turned in and the doctor is gravely snoring through that terrible dead rat under his nose (Houdini has almost finished devising a plan to shave it off sometime - _and_ get away with it), Harry can't help but wonder what things might be like in a different, more open-minded world.


	2. Chapter 2

"The Netherlands!"

Houdini bounds into the dining room, full of his usual showman's energy. Doyle looks up from his eggs and quirks one eyebrow, waiting for a continuation. When none comes, and the dopey, expectant grin starts to irk, he ventures, "...Is a country?"

"Yes, yes," Harry counters, impatiently, clearly expecting his line of thought to be obvious. "But sodomy isn't illegal there."

Now both of Arthur's eyebrows have risen unto his forehead and he suddenly knows exactly what Doctor Watson feels like whenever Holmes is explaining some convoluted murder plot as if it were a game of conkers. His friend hastens to explain.

"Remember when we were trying to understand who and why murdered Addie's husband? You know, before she actually shot-"

Time to intervene.

"Some tribes in Africa practice cannibalism. Just because a country does not forbid something, does not imply that eating people is a good thing."

"Netherlands is in Europe," Harry contests hotly, but his energy is starting to eb away. "Quite close to England, as it happens."

"And France."

Doyle can't hold back that bit of casual racism - it's in his fish-and-chips blood to hate the French.

"Anyway," he continues, sensing a serious dampening of his friend's slightly unpredictable mood. "Whence the sudden interest in our fellow man's activities - be they illicit or otherwise?"

Harry's shoulders slump and Arthur knows he's lost him.

"It's... Nothing," the magician answers. Then his back straightens and his expression shifts to a more neutral one. "Nevermind, Doc."

Just like that, he's gone again.

 _That was strange and random,_ Doyle thinks, looking down at his cold eggs wistfully. But damn it, now he cannot stop thinking about the exchange, and the possible reason for it. They _do_ say Netherlands is a beautiful country...

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware that Netherlands wasn't the only country to legalise homosexuality after France's Code Pénal of 1811. However, I live in the Netherlands, so I'm biased ;)  
> For those interested, other countries include: Belgium, Luxemburg, Bavaria, Italy, Spain and Portugal.


End file.
